Residents in poorer areas throw away more than three times as much rubbish as the richest, a study has revealed.
Food, nappies, carrier bags and other packaging make up the bulk of their bin bags, which are sent to landfill sites.
A trawl through the bin bags from 1,000 homes found that in some places, almost everybody recycles, while in other areas, only half the households do.
More than 16 tonnes of rubbish from 200 homes in Melton, Coalville, Narborough, Loughborough and South Wigston were sifted last November.
Leicestershire County Council said the year-long project will tell them which households need more help and advice on how to recycle and cut down on waste.
Coun Nick Rushton, cabinet member for waste, said: "It shows we have got to offer help to people in more deprived areas - either through education or by offering them different facilities to be able to recycle.
"In North West Leicestershire, we're targeting 16,000 houses with an education programme where we show people what they can recycle."
The richest households, a group of 40 homes surveyed in Loughborough, threw away just 3.9kg of rubbish per week.
The poorest homes, from a sample taken in Coalville, threw away 13.7kg of waste.
The average was 7.3kg and the average amount recycled each week was 4.7kg.
Analysis of people's lifestyles has shown that poorer families rate recycling as less important than more affluent homes.
Of the rubbish thrown out in black bags, an average of about 17 per cent could have been recycled.
Biodegradable waste - including food, textiles, paper and card - made up almost three-quarters of the rubbish thrown away.
The county council says its preferred option for dealing with waste in future would be incineration.
However, other options could include a ball mill, similar to the one which runs in the city, to crush refuse.
The council is also aiming to build a giant composting plant which breaks down biodegradable rubbish.
Mark Vickers, 33, from Wharncliffe Road, Loughborough, said: "There are a lot of big families on low incomes around here and a lot of the houses don't seem to put out their recycling sacks."
The Greenhill and Agar Nook estates, in Coalville, are recognised by the Government as socially deprived areas.
However, Kath Brown, secretary of Greenhill Tenants and Residents Association, said many people had been converted to recycling.
She said: "You will see recycling bins and bags out everywhere on collection day."